good morning, america. breaking news, the perfect storm. sandy brings utter devastation overnight. unprecedented walls of water destroy the coastline and slam new york city. so much of the skyline plunged into darkness. a record-breaking loss of power. floodwaters pour into tunnels. hospitals forced to evacuate. >> oh, my goodness. it is an infant. >> now, new dangers. >> never being force to leave, not by water. not by flood, not by sandy, but by fire. >> nine states under a state of emergency right now. all the latest on the catastrophic damage, dramatic rescues and where the storm is headed next. our extreme weather team, live, in the storm zone. "good morning america's" special coverage starts, right now.

and good morning to all our viewers in the west. we're coming to you live right now. and lure yooking at the scene overnight in parts of new york city. the fires rage. entire neighborhoods burned up. over 50 homes destroyed. we've got new information pouring in every minute. this storm has been deadly. taken at least 17 lives so far. >> and there are so many scenes of devastation at this hour. from sandy, as we come on the air on the west coast, the damage is still unfolding. here's what we know right now, more than 7.5 million people are out of power. the center of the storm is over central pennsylvania. a berm in new jersey gave away overnight. and now an entire town is under water right now. people climbing on the roofs of their mobile homes waiting to be

rescued. and also a huge story in new york city this morning. much of the city is under water. look at these pictures from one of the major highways. all but one of the tunnels in the city are closed right now. officials also say this is the worst disaster for the new york subway system. it is over 100 years old. and take a look at these pictures. miles of manhattan plunged into darkness overnight in what's being call the largest power outage ever. >> our front team is live. sam champion leads off the coverage from battery park in lower manhattan. good morning, sam. >> good morning, george and amy. forecasted to be a superstorm, and, boy, was it ever. a giant nor'easter, buttocked inside it, a very powerful hurricane. this storm lunged at the coastline, sped up and really moved onshore, pushing a wall of water, an incredible amount of rain and very strong winds. if you're traveling to the east coast over the next few days or

if you're trying to clean up beneath the storm it is not going away. a quick look at where the storm will travel over the next few days and you'll find it in pennsylvania. through most of the day tomorrow, it's central new york state. finally it exits the coastline but to canada before it will work its way out of maritime. we still have tropical-force winds over the wind gusts, and we expect that will continue for the entire time that storm is onshore. promise to be a superstorm? take a look at sandy's punch. >> reporter: sandy's effects blasted new york city causing destruction never seen before in america's largest city. over four feet of water flooded central subway system and the holland and brooklyn battery tunnels unprecedented events caused backup generators to fail. where hundreds of patients, including infantses from the

neonatal intensive care unit had to be evacuated. it's almost 10:30 and the water, it's still high. smells like fuel oil. apparently 13 additional feet of water came into this area. and we're still fighting tropical--force wind gusts. reportedly 100-mile-an-hour wind gusts on the bridges. and the city itself, nearly 70-mile-an-hour wind gusts. the entire facade of this entire building collapsed. >> oh, my gosh. there's no walls. >> reporter: and here's a sight that brings fear to even the most jaded new yorker. a construction crane collapsing atop a high-rise under construction. dangling above 57th street. more than 200 firefighters battled through the night. a six-alarm fire in the breezy section of queens that involved over 50 homes. floodwaters topped a berm in new jersey, devastating towns of

moonachie, carlatad. officials say it could be up to ten days before power is completely restored. sandy's effects were found as far away as milwaukee. and snow falling from north carolina to pennsylvania and into ohio. davis, west virginia has 17 inches of snow and there's much more to come. there could be three feet of snow in the higher elevations by thursday. one-third of the country touched by sandy. every town has a story, but chris cuomo, a new york story? >> it is. it is. it's affected the entire east coast. we talked about expectations but really this is about expectations versus what you can handle. if you look at some of the things here. today, a still picture of the battery tunnel. still flooded, they believe water in that tunnel. you can't just anticipate what

water will do with this type of force. that takes us to pictures of the path train in in which where obviously water is going to go down because of gravity. there's so much weight in the water, it literally floods the entire zone there. people will had to be rescued and evacuated. even though there's so much precaution and warnings, sandy hit so hard in so many ways, we could have never been fully prepared. >> reporter: the city that never sleeps now crippled without power. overnight, much of it underwater. the brooklyn-battery tunnel, a main entry point for the city, a gushing waterfall, as sandy's record surge poured into lower manhattan for hours. the full moon tide bringing five feet of water in many places. blown by hurricanes-force gusts that did thirst worst. trees, power lines torn and tossed. the liquid punched through the battery making cars float. flooding ground zero.

and then scenes like this began, one of the city's transformers buffetted by 90-mile-per-hour winds, an atomic explosion. brackish water stood four to eight feet deep in the city's seven main subway tunnels. shutting down almost all of the world's largest underground transit eye system. >> we've got all our resources ready to clean this up and get everything open again. >> reporter: optimism, tempered by the harnish of the task. people here could be here without power for days. the subways could be quiet for weeks. the financial heart of the country barely beating as floodwaters surrounded wall street, closing the new york stock exchange again today. officials are scrambling to find a way for trading to resume. we have founs ourselves stuck on an island within an island. as darkness fell, sandy's waters moved with deceptive quickness. within an hour, raw sewage

marooned many in the barrier of manhattan. now flooded with water and debris. this is a lake. we were stopped by a haunting image. a sad symbol. we need to get that light back on. it's freedom tower. we talk about what you can handle. americans very resilient. new yorkers, especially so. i have a feeling last night that i hoped i never have again. we were trapped in the same area that i was trapped on 9/11. it gives you perspective, we were tired but the power is out, it's dark. and there's human and property loss we haven't even heard about yet. the damage is not over. but all of these things can be fixed. lives can never be brought back. and it gives us perspective that sandy was bad but new yorkers have lived through much worse. george. >> that's right. the rebuilding has already begun. sam mentioned ethe evacuation o

the hospitalization. the hospital was plunged into darkness. hundreds had to be brought to other hospitals. 20 of them babies. david muir is on the scene. >> reporter: 7:00 a.m. on the west coast, 10:00 a.m. here. this operation under way for 12 hours now. you still see the long line of ambulances here outside of the nyu medical center. eight generators failed and they couldn't get power to the hospital. so they've been involved in this intricate operation to bring people down all day long. you see the ambulances still lined up outside the lobby here. they had 20 babies from the neonatal intensive care unit. they were able to bring down more critical patients as well. 200 in all. you can actually see some of the patients coming out on a gurney. >> please, please. >> reporter: we will, absolutely. you can see this woman is okay. which is actually a good sign when you see patients come out

of the hospital. one gentleman put his hand up, thumbs up saying we're just fine. it's been a long night here. they've been bringing the patients down. a lot of hero stories down the stairwell, back to you. >> okay, david. back to josh at the smartboard. >> george, we talked a lot about how manhattan has been ravaged by sandy this morning. so much of the story actually set outside the islands on the outer boroughs. all coastal in nature, all severely hit by sandy. some of the reports we've seen hardest hit, actually down here on staten island. especially the south-facing beaches, badly affected by flooding. particularly on that south shore. hearing reports of hundreds of residents in at least two different neighborhoods that were forced to go to rooftops to escape the rising waters and await emergency help. emergency officials call it a scene out of a war zone. they want people stay put. emergency personnel are coming for you. we also will keep you updated on

the conditions on staten island. we have more information through the day. some shocking images to show you. we also want to show you a story developing in queens. the breezy point area. in rockaways, residents dealing with not the storm, but fire, wind, rain. a massive six-alarm blaze breaking overnight there. over 50 homes destroyed by the blaze. 200 firefighters and emergency personnel on the scene. they are also having to move at times through chest-deep water and making it more difficult, houses that are so close together. in fact, abc news' jim dubreuil was on the scene overnight and here's how he described the scene. >> reporter: this is a community that lost the most people during 9/11, firefighters and cops during 9/11. this community was hit horribly tonight.

then the fire just erupted. we were in a home and fire was literally right across from us. and as the fire just spread, we waded our way it another home and realized that the parking lot that we were next to, the cars literally started to blow up. again, the fire continued to spread. my understanding it has spread across about 12 blocks of breezy point. an area they call "the wedge." we thought we would come here and see people wanting to leave. tonight, they're being forced to leave not by flood, not by sandy, but by fire. >> we will be having information as it becomes available from queens. we'll have it for you again. a look at the greater new york city area struck so hard. including amy out there in staten island. >> josh, we have dramatic scenes of devastation coming into us right now. extraordinary pictures. look at that. a large tanker ship washed up on

the shore of staten island. michelle charlesworth has the story. michelle. >> reporter: look at this. we came up on this. this is a 700-ton tanker that was moored about a mile from here. this is the "john b. caddell." it's been around since 1941. there was no one on it, nothing on it. let's stop for a second. to give people a bearing. people don't know staten island or new york. this is front street. this is actually a street so it ended up on the asphalt. this is the narrows. lower manhattan is right over there. and if we pan over here, there is the verrazano narrows bridge to let you know. and it was moored on the other side of that. you guys watch out. there are flares all over the place here. but staten island is just devastated here. people are coming out with their kids. no school, obviously, can't get to work.

and there's just no public transportation and they've been coming here to see this sight because it looks like something out of a movie. don't get hit with this. it's just unbelievable. and they've been taking pictures. and just can't believe this but we're moving on from here. back to you, amy. unbelievable sight. >> it certainly shows the force and power of sandy. michelle charlesworth, thanks so much. we want to go to more devastation along new jersey. you're looking at what's left of the iconic boardwalk in atlantic city. the devastating sandy washed away parts of it, huge chunks of it. abc's ginger zee is there with the very latest. ginger, that is some devastation? >> it really is. we couldn't even get to that boardwalk. you can see the casinos behind me. that is where the storm surge came up. that is only one of the issues. they shut down all help to people. this morning, we're hearing

ambulances through the streets and they're bringing evacuees here to the highest point in atlantic city. a lot of the water had receded up from here all the way to sandy hook where they have a 12-foot plus tide this is crushed by that storm. >> reporter: battered, beaten and being rescued. >> i was scared i was going to drown. it was crazy. >> reporter: sandy delivered absolute mayhem up and down the jersey shore. the boardwalk in atlantic city covered in sea foam and torn apart. >> i've never seen anything like it. we had waves as high as the light poles down on the boardwalk. it's just ripping up boards on the boardwalk and throwing them up on the lot beside us here. >> reporter: seven miles long, it forced the ocean into the streets turning roads into rumbling rapids. in hoboken, waters gushed in an elevator shaft, quickly filling this commuter train station. jersey's entire coastline from

top to bottom, hammered for hours. even before the superstorm officially hit. >> oh, my gosh, look at that. no wonder, this is all ocean coming over here. the storm surge, the tide is coming up. and the storm is hitting right now. and as that storm became a ferocious nor'easter. it was over here in atlantic city, and there's water absolutely everywhere. we were stuck like everyone else. in the wake of the storm still making history. the national guard has been marching through. they're coming in again with those people who did not evacuate, getting them to safety. we'll be doing this throughout the day. josh. >> again, so much to get to. thank you for that, ginger. meanwhile, we want to show you a piece of alarming video. this was a picture high above midtown manhattan. that is a crane that collapsed high above. tens and tens of stories above the city. swinging like a pendulum as new york was first pummeled yesterday by sandy, as the winds

first roared in. streets around it immediately cleared. and take a look at what will we have here at the very latest. >> reporter: nearly 80 stories above storm-ravaged manhattan, dangling precariously in hurst-force winds the arm of this crane was blown into a back flip. overnight, still clinging to what is the tallest residential building in the city. >> the boom is moving back and forth sideways and that will stress the boom and weaken it. >> reporter: as sandy gains strengths, gusts clock 40 miles per hour. those speeds can double near towering top floors, blowing hard enough to burst windows and turn this crane into a powerful projectile. >> watch your back, folks. get on the sidewalk. >> reporter: seven surrounding blocks as wind speeds continues to increase. within the posh perimeter, a luxury hotel where the ashton

family was among hundreds asked to walk to new accommodations. >> expecting it with two young children. >> and the luggage. >> and the lug gach. >> reporter: this morning, that crane is still threatening businesses and hopes. >> no matter how it falls, it will cost millions upon millions of dollars in damage. >> again, from my vantage point on the upper west side last night, you could watch that swinging like a pendulum all night long. a lot of questions on social media, why was the crane up there anyway. it had just been expecteded a couple days ago. let's go to sam again. speaking of weather on the west coast, sam. >> good morning, everyone. i don't think i've ever covered a hurricane -- as a matter of fact, i don't know i covered a hurricane in a waterproof layer and a thermal layer. now that the cold air is coming in, it's a good thing to have. let's get to the boards.

let's show you what's going on in the pacific midwest. we're expecting another inch to two inches possible all the way to thursday where it clears out the northern sections. but that rain does make it down towards eureka. also to wednesday. nice and warm from l.a., to denver, to rapid city, the highs will be in the 70s and 80s. in many cases it's 15 degrees above normal. why aren't i standing in san diego right now?

>> all that weather was brought to you by the capital one venture card. amy, george, josh. >> sam has been doing such strong work down there. >> yes. we have much more coming up for our viewers in the west. dramatic rescue at sea. the coast guard saves 14 team of the tall ship's sunken in roaring waves. we'll hear from rescuers. we'll have the latest on the devastating breached in the new jersey area, people waiting to be rescued right now. we have much more to come on

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that is breezy point, new york city. fire in the wake of floodwaters overnight. entire neighborhoods burning up. more than 50 homes have been destroyed. we have new pictures and information for you every minute, as we learn how devastating sandy was. this storm has taken many lives. at least 16 so far. >> and we're still learning about the devastating dam break in new jersey. entire towns are under water. people are waiting to be rescued, climbing on top of their mobile homes just to get help. >> and rescue workers began yesterday. a dramatic rescue at sea. 14 people, as you see here, airlifted by the coast guard, after fleeing a tall ship they had been on. the latest on how the survivors are doing. we'll be speaking with the coast

guard in moments. >> "hms bounty." our weather team has been covering throughout the morning and overnight. ron claiborne. good morning, ron. >> good morning, george. we're surveying the damage on long beach. the water, according to residents here, we're about 500 yards away from the ocean. at one point reached about chest-high. it washes over the low-lying barrier island. there's reports of 900,000 people throughout long island without power. here in long beach, there's no power. there's no water service. i talked to one woman over here. she wishes she had heeded the mandatory evacuation order. most people did not heed that evacuation order. they stayed here. we see, now, the devastation. lots of cars floating around all

night. people's homes damaged. we're hearing of reports of possible seven homes on fe island, another low-lying barrier island, and being washed into the ocean. >> the floodwaters across the sound causing damage, as well. we're going to go to lara spencer, in stamford, connecticut. >> i didn't come into work to see you guys this morning, because i wanted to be in connecticut and be with my family. i'm afraid for all of the residents up here. about 9:30, we got a reverse 911 call in the area. police warning that the storm surge could be as high as 17 1/2 feet in this area. behind me, this is the stamford harbor area. there, a storm surge about 12 the homes you see, all of them, without power. in connecticut, we're estimating about 650,000 customers without power this morning.

the water, to give you an idea of what a 12-foot storm surge would do. went all the way up. covered the front lawn, covering the first floor, all the way to the left. the picture windows you can see, it was lapping up to the bottom of where the picture windows start. flooding severe here. and the big problem this morning, is folks being stranded because of the flooding. many of those people did not heed the mandatory evacuations. and this morning, governor lloyd saying, you must get to higher ground in your house and sit tight, wait for rescue workers. if you're in the area and stranded, you can tie a white towel to your front door. and they'll get to you when they can. a lot of damage here. we have more to talk about later in the show. >> all right, lara. let's bring in bergen county

executive, jeanie baratta. >> it will be close to 2,000 when all is said and done with the storm and the event happening here in moonachie. those three were the worst last night. we're not sure what happened, what the governor said, a breach in the levee or a swell of the tide that caused that water. those three towns were under four, five and six feet and more of water. >> i understand rooftop rescues are under way. >> that's correct. we have the state national guard, the sheriff's office, the police office. we're doing rescues with large trucks. doing rescues all over those areas with everybody pitching in to help.

>> and give us a sense of how large the rescue operation is right now and how long you expect it to continue. >> it's going to continue al now, we're to search and rescue. we're going to have people going door-to-door, knocking on doors. i'm in teterboro, and we're bringing people here. to this area, bringing families. we're letting them bring their pets. nobody likes to leave their pet at home. we're allowing them to bring it here. and we're evacuating people. anybody that needs medical attention, special treatment, we're evaluating them at our teterboro voc-tech school. >> jeannie baratta, thanks so

much. you see that tanker washed up into the street. michelle was showing that to us earlier this morning. an entire tanker washed up in staten island. i saw the councilman about the damage. >> on the phone, with vin dent ignizio. you said this is more damage than you've seen before on staten island. >> good morning, sir. we're happy to see sandy leave staten island. and we've learned of one confirmconfir confirmed fatality. >> what happened? >> my understanding is that the water rose so fast in the home. she was part of the zone "a," part of the community. and the nypd could not get to her. >> what are the biggest dangers you're seeing right now in

staten island? >> it's nothing short of a war zone. the streets are impassable. three-quarters of my district has no power. limited access that goes with it. they're cut off from the outside world. and if you can't get through the streets. it's very difficult situation. i know city officials will be working kill gently on in the coming days. >> we heard reports earlier in the morning of people on their roofs to get rescued? >> a lot of us have reports through. we did a 29-hour facebook vigil when people were reaching out. people were trying to get to police as the water was rising, they were going upstairs to the second stories. and come reports of people in attics, trying to punch through. i have no way of confirming that

because i'm cutoff myself. i'm trying to get as much information as i can, dogeorge. >> any danger from downed power lines? >> day break is coming now. you can see the arcing of live wires that touches the ground, touches cars. we've had reports of that. and the cleanup is going to take quite some time. >> what's the biggest need right now? >> my main concern is that for people that are trapped, to get to them and get out of their homes. we can always replace property. absolutely secondary. but those that may be trapped in their homes are able to get out. >> thank you. >> give us your prays. sandy is still with us right now. the storm has affected so many people up and down the east coast. it's tracking inland right now.

let's get the latest on where sandy is right now, with sam, in lauer manhattan. >> yeah. these are the worst conditions to try to do a cleanup in. it's windy and raw and wet and raining. these conditions stay fwr a couple of days. let's show you the wind forecast. now that the storm is inland, you would think this would be a better situation for most folks. the heavy wind has driven inland and will stay there. the rains that come with us and there's several inches yet to come. that makes it worse and more flooding. it makes it bad and tough to get to people who need help. there's gorgeous weather in the southwest. absolutely bea

>> we're live in lower manhattan this morning. now, let's go back to george, amy and josh. coming up now, dramatic rescue at sea. the coast guard get 14 people to safety, fighting 15-mile-per-hour winds. we're going to hear from the rescuers. [ female announcer ] imagine skin so healthy, it never gets dry again.

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welcome back. now, to the dramatic rescue off of north carolina. the coast guard airlifting 14 people from life rafts, after their ship sank. at least one person died. another is still missing. abc's matt gutman has the latest. >> we're right over the raft. >> reporter: on that raft, in the middle of the roiling city, with sandy bearing down, members of the crew of "the hms bounty" were swept overboard by a violent wave on sunday. then, a welcome sight. the outstretched arm of dan todd of the u.s. coast guard. with two rescuers towing, the crew members one to one to rescue survivors. >> it's like a washing machine.

20-foot to 30-foot waves in that wind. >> reporter: earlier, workers found claudene christian floating. >> if she goes down with the ship, she was happy. but i know she was happy. >> reporter: the ship's captain, robin walbridge, is still missing. why a distress call to the coast guard, at 9:00 p.m. sunday night, may have been rescinded. the crew had been onboard the ship for seven hours. >> i told my husband, they were kind of worried that they won't want to lose the ship. that resonated with me. >> reporter: the ship built for the 1962 "mutiny on the bounty." but her owner, said the main purpose was for a total museum.

>> we saved her from the graveyard once. and to have her go like this is just heart wrenching. >> reporter: this morning, the coast guard is investigating why this attempt to save the "hms bounty" from hurricane sandy, turned into a frantic rescue mission. right now, that search operation is still under way. the coast guard is using ships and planes like the one you see next to me. one thing that may be keeping the captain of the bounty alive, is one of these suits. it's a survival suit. >> abc's matt gutman, thanks very much. coming up, the latest on sandy's path of destruction. and important information for you and your family. tully's. how do you always have my favorite coffee? well, inside the brewer, there's a giant staircase. and the room is filled

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1234b sandy, a disaster that played out in real-time on

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good morning. the woman accused of killing nursing student michelle le faces sentencing in early december. a jury convicted giselle esteban of degree murder yesterday. le disappeared in may of 2011 her body was found four months later. esteban will spend a minimum 25 years in prison. good morning. fog still the big story flight arrival delays into sfo nearly 70 minutes. a little improvement but looks like the around hours we'll get rid of this fog temperatures jump into the 70s away from the coast in the

60s. >> northbound 101 earlier accident has things jammed up the peninsula south 242 concord avenue accident blocking lane there. southbound 880 at a new accident. the news contin

this morning, the perfect storm. still wreaking havoc after pounding the east coast with waves and punishing winds. nearly half of new york city in the dark and underwater. as floodwaters swamp tunnels, wash out roads and force hospitals to evacuate, even the tiniest patients. this morning, the latest on the catastrophic damage, the dramatic rescue, and where the storm is headed next. our extreme team live in the storm zone. "good morning america's" special coverage starts, right now. just look at the scene

overnight right here in new york city. that's breezy point. fire coming out of the floodwaters right there. entire neighborhoods destroyed. more than 50 homes are gone right now. we're learning more and more about that every minute. look at that right there. staten island. "the john b. caddell" supertanker washed ashore. a tanker onshore on staten island this morning. many are waiting to be rescued there, as well. learning so much about the devastation caused by the superstorm. and we know right now, 17 people have lost their lives in the storm. >> here's what we know. 7.5 million people are right now out of power. the center of the storm is over central pennsylvania. a levee in new jersey breached overnight. entire towns are underwater right now. 5 feet of water rushing into the streets in just 45 minutes. dramatic rescues taking place at this hour. >> and some of the terror and the devastations occurred at night. and the sun's rise now on so many communities, up and down

the east coast. they wake up underwater this morning. so, there are huge potential health hazards once the floodwaters recede. dr. richard besser is here with what you need to know to protect yourself and your families from the dangers that could be lurking inside and around your flooded homes. >> and millions facing several days potentially without power. we have crucial safety tips on preparing and storing food for your family. lara is near her family in connecticut. and the floodwaters have been devastating, as well. >> yes. for many, many here, thousands, it will be a long few days. hunkered down, displaced in hotels or shelters. coming up, we're going to talk about life for these families adjusting to the aftermath here in the storm zone. let's start with sam, who is leading our coverage from battery park in lower manhattan. sam? >> look at new york harbor. it looks like a rolling sea, white caps.

the winds are still strong and gusty. we have periods of rain moving through here. that will be the case over the next couple of days. officially, this is 12 hours after that superstorm, sandy, delivered, to its title and came across shore. sandy's effects blasted new york city, causing damage and destruction never seen before in america's largest city. over four feet of water flooded the wrench century-old subway system. the holland and brooklyn battery tunnels and the site of the world trade center. unprecedented flooding caused the generators to fail at several hospitals, like nyu hospital, where hundreds of patients, including infants from the neonatal intensive care unit had to be evacuated. it's almost 10:30. and the wind has picked up around here. the water is still high. it smells like fuel oil. apparently, almost 13 feet of additional water came into this area. and we're still fighting

tropical storm-force wind gusts. reportedly 100-mile-per-hour wind gusts on new york city bridges. and the city itself, nearly 70-mile-per-hour wind gusts. the facade of this apartment building collapsed. >> oh, my gosh. there's no wall for these apartments. >> reporter: and here's a sight that brings fear to even the most jaded new yorker. a construction crane collapsing, dangling above 57th street. more than 200 firefighters battled through the night, a six-alarm fire in the breezy point section of queens. power is out in most of lower manhattan. and the latest estimates have over 7 million people without power in 11 states. officials say it could be up to ten days before power is completely restored. every community that was affected by sandy is waking up with terrible stories to tell. but there's one community with millions of people and millions of stories. chris cuomo joins us now. >> i'm looking down at the blackberry. we're getting reports from guys out in the field right now.

the wind that's whipping us is whipping the fire in breezy point. they have thousands of first responders on the ground right now. the wind, because of where breezy point is located, is having a turbo effect. and they're having a really hard time there. they're also in three to five feet of water. that's what they're dealing with in breezy point. across from where we are, that's staten island. the bridge that connects it to manhattan, are no longer serviceable. they're getting calls for water rescue there. we've been looking at the dramatic picture of that boat. what we care about are people. and people sitting on their roofs. and people calling for help. they're doing the best they can. this is the biggest movement of manpower since 9/11, here in the city. we're going to go to lisa stark for a totally different perspective on sandy. lisa? >> reporter: we're, we're in frostburg, maryland, western maryland. we remain under a blizzard warning. we could get four to six inches

today. you see trucks parked along the highway. they can't go anywhere. the main road here, i-68, closed for 35 miles. from here to the west virginia border. it is too stretch rouse. sandy dumped snow in eight states, from north carolina up to pennsylvania, all the way over to ohio. some areas could get as much as three feet. we remain under a blizzard warning. it's not over yet. george, back to you. >> this storm is punishing in so many ways. we want to go back to the situation in new jersey right now and atlantic city. we're going to show you what's left of the famous boardwalk. we go to ginger zee in atlantic city, on point since the start of this storm. ginger? >> yeah. after it came through here. we watched in the last couple of hours, a lot of emergency managers and vehicles, pulling up, ambulances. they brought evacuees to the hotel. this is the highest point in atlantic city. a lot of the waters have receded. but you mentioned the sand in the street.

we were at this intersection that was covered with water. now, it looks like a beach is on that intersection. and second, boats displaced in people's yards. you see the casinos in the background. i don't know if you have that picture up. but if you do, it is just wow. we had to stay here. and a lot of folks are being brought in because this is the highest and safest point in atlantic city. george? >> ginger, thank you. we're joined by governor chris christie of new jersey. i know you've been working through the night. give us the latest on the situation in bergen county. a levy breaking. up to 1,000 people need to be rescued. >> we're in the midst to do the rescues. it was not a dam or a levee. it was just a berm. the tidal surge that came up the bay and newark bay, caused that to overflow. obviously, we have lots of people waiting to be rescued.

that rescue started during the night. >> what's your biggest concern across the state right now? >> george, it's hard to tell. we haven't had daylight to assess all of the damage. we have a battered jersey shore. we have cities without power because of flooding at the newark bay area. we have 2.4 million people without power across the state. this is a major disaster. we're trying to save as many lives as possible. with an urban search and rescue teams on the shore and in berten county. we have over 200 state roads closed. this is a significant storm. >> we've seen the devastating images from atlantic city. the boardwalk, facing so much damage. >> we've seen so much damage. we ordered the evacuation of atlantic city and the barrier

islands. the jersey shore took a beating. that's where the storm came on. new jersey took it worse than any place, i think. and we're dealing with it now. we're digging out from under. >> i know you spoke with president obama late in the night. what did he tell you? >> he called me last night around midnight, again, to ask what else could be done. and what we did last night, he was able to move forward very quickly with a major disaster declaration for new jersey. he worked on that last night with me. offered any other assets we need for help. i have to say, the administration, the president himself, and fema administrator, craig fugate, have been outstanding with us so far. we have a great partnership with them. and i want to thank the president personally, for his personal attention to this. >> and you're assessing the damage this morning. rescues continue. but this is going to take weeks to clean up. >> there's no question, george. it will take weeks to clean up. in new jersey, stay home today.

and private businesses, unless you have a safe way to get your employees to your place, you should give them the day off. >> hang in there, governor christie. thanks for your time this morning. >> george, thank you very much. >> that's the story from new jersey. let's get more storm headlines from josh. >> we're getting new information, in fact, on the massive fire that's spread to at least 50 homes in queens, new york. you see it here. heavy winds overnight, making the conditions extra challenging. roughly 200 firefighters and first responders racing to the scene. firefighters say the water was chest-high on the street. they actually had to use a boat to make rescues as they fought the blaze. they said that 1 apartment building had 25 people trapped upstairs. two minor injuries are reported. as george mentioned, at least 17 deaths are now being blamed on this storm. most of them because of falling trees.

two, young boys at a sleepover, were killed when a tree fell on one of them north of new york city. sandy continues to wreak havoc at airports across the country. jim avila joins us from reagan national airport. good morning, jim. >> reporter: good morning, josh. passengers should consider this a no-fly zone. from washington, d.c. up to boston. it will be rare if a flight would take off. there's been some 6,000 flights canceled today. as we look at the board again today, this is the flight takeoff and arrival board. it looks like a cancellation board all the way through. that's the way it's going to be most of the day for most of the airports. there are no planes in place. and the faa website lists the four new york airports as closed today. here at washington, d.c., they say beginning this afternoon, some stragglers will begin to come in and begin to leave. but for the most part, not many planes will be taking off and leaving anywhere from washington, d.c. all the way up through boston.

>> haunting scenes as so many of the airports. thank you for that, jim. take a look as for ground transportation. an image capturing the moment a water began rushing into a commuter train station in new jersey. bursting through that elevator door. it will be days before public transit in the new york metro area is up and running again. meanwhile, take a look at the scene at the world trade center in lower manhattan. water overtaking the construction site from where the freedom tower was being built. one producer here at "good morning america" said it felt like he was living next to niagara falls, as water continued to pour through the night. and parts of rhode island and massachusetts, battered by sandy as she made her way northward up the eastern seaboard. this house near the kennedy compound in hyannisport. we have an important clip of video here.

it is to remind you of the danger of live power lines. this, from southern massachusetts. winds in some parts of new england, topping 80 miles per hour. again, we want to echo the thoughts of city officials up in the eastern seaboard. stay where you are. do not try to traverse floodwaters. live power lines can do so much damage. we want to get another look at the storm as it changes through the flood zone. we will head back to sam in battery park. sam? >> josh, good words on that. there's so much debris down. power lines still down. you kind of need to stay where you are and let the folks who are going to clean up the roads and clear the debris get into the community and work on it. it's high tide at the battery around 9:00 a.m. we have washover, still have high water. much higher than normal water here. let's get to the boards. we'll show you what's left of this storm. and there's still quite a bit.

the system continues to pound people. we see what's left of the system dancing in the middle and follow the lows. it will cut through pennsylvania and stay there almost a full day. and wednesday, get into western new york state and stays there until it finally pulls into canada and gets pushed off into the canadian maritimes.

>> we're just panning the camera over because one of the nicest things i think i've seen in the past 36 hours is a little rainbow that's kind of shooting out through those clouds. and a little break of sunshine right here over new york harbor. i don't know if you can see it. but it made our crew pretty happy. >> yeah. we can see it. we have smiles on our faces. thanks for that, sam. now, let's look at what's ahead on the "gma morning menu." riding out the storm. families with no power. how they're making the best of a tough situation. and potential hazards in your house, as the floodwaters recede. dr. richard besser with what you need to know right now. and millions in the dark, what you need in your pantry. all coming up on "gma," from times square.

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we're back on "good morning america" in connecticut. in the midst of a bit of a squall. also, a bit of a reprieve. the tide is low. we're anticipating high tides about 12:00 noon. yesterday, before the storm hit, i went out and talked to some of the families, so many of whom are hunkered down at home. many displaced, with their kids. feeling helpless about what would happen next. the overwhelming feeling of anxiety, affecting everyone, including the children. as the worst of sandy battered the coast, many parents and scared children were shuttered

in their homes, waiting, anxious and wondering. what happens if this goes on for a few days? >> we're worried about that. we don't have a generator. we feel like we're fine here for two or three days. but after that, we have to come up with a second game plan. >> reporter: over 500,000 people forced to evacuate, seeking shelters. this hyatt in connecticut is sold out for the next few days. making the lobby with kids comering at the bar, look like a day-care center. >> we don't have lights. the power went off. >> reporter: many families sharing rooms, as they ride out the storm. two adults, two kids and a dog in one room. >> yes. >> reporter: for as long as it takes? >> i'm thinking four or five nights, at least. >> reporter: how do you prepare children for a storm like this and its aftermath? some believe including them in

the storm can help. dave is teaching his 10-year-old son the importance of being prepared. >> got all the boats tied up. i think we're a little nervous to be out here. it's time we get going. >> reporter: meanwhile, halloween, a real possibility of missing the funs is on many young minds. i see you're dressing up early. >> yeah. >> reporter: how come? >> if halloween is canceled, we don't get to go trick or treating. >> reporter: new jersey governor, chris christie, says if conditions don't improve, he'll sign an executive order, rescheduling halloween. in the meantime, carly has a message for sandy. >> go away. >> reporter: halloween seems like the least of our problems, after all, that we have witnessed. i know many parents are creating contingency plans, parties at home. kids, not to worry. we want to restore as much

normalcy as we can. dr. besser was kind enough to give us great safety tips. some of them are relying on generators. cannot stress enough to have your generator away from the house. not in the house. not even in the garage. we thought we were okay. i was in a home that had one last night. that was until 2:00 in the morning, when the carbon monoxide detector went off. check our website for more great safety tips. it's squalling out here. >> great advice there. we have some tips from dr. janet taylor, she was with us yesterday, on how to cope with this with our kids. so many times we're offering advice. i have no power downtown and kids home from school. what advice do you give to parents who are cooped up with their kids? >> anxiety can come from a number of resources.

and also, recognizing it's a normal reaction to a stressful event. the first thing to keach your kid is context. and to have an attitude of gratitude. as parents, we have to practice patience. those kids can't say i'm nervous, i'm anxious. let them know it's okay to have unstructured free time. we have kids that may need to use crayons. >> i love that. attitude of gratitude. as far as results home from work. with as busy as we are, it might the be nice to use our downtime. >> it's a way to be creative and to think of what you can do to have a more. >> people with down time can

become something productive in the long run. >> there can be a positive spin for all of this turmoil. thanks so much. we appreciate it. george? >> brought the desk with another doctor. want to get more safety tips. you see the big jug of floating water. you don't drink it. >> this is floodwater from here in new york city. when that floodwater comes into your home, you have to worry about what does it bring in with you? animal waste, human waste. when it mixes with things in your basement. you could be storing chemicals, cleaning supplies. when you have a couple of feet of water in your basement, there could be sharp objects. >> when you're dealing with flooding like this, you have to be careful with the tap water, as well. >> you may be hearing there's a boiled water advisory. and if you've stored water,

great. if you hadn't, for a boiled water advisory, boil your water for one point. >> if the floodwater comes into your house, you shouldn't go in and clean it up? >> i wouldn't do it right away. you want to have good light to see what you're doing. when you're cleaning that water, you don't want it to come in contact. you want to wear glads and gloves and googles. don't rush into that water, there may also be electrical problems. >> when you have able to go and start cleaning, how should you do it? >> you want to be careful of food and water jugs that came into contact with that water.

the one expectation is if you have canned goods that are scored in the floodwater. you can take those labels off and rinse with a bleach solution. but any food or water that's come in a contact with the steeled floodwaters. it's hard if you have a bag that's sealed or a jar, to really clean around the jar top. only the canned goods are the ones you can get away with. >> coming up, the latest on sapd di's path of destruction. and what your kitchen needs to feed your family while the power is out. we'll have the latest from sam champion, as hurricane sandy coverage continues.

good morning. preparations underway in san francisco for a big victory parade tomorrow for the world series champs giants. crews have begun setting the area where the parade will end. crowds outside at&t park greeted the giants yesterday they showed off the trophy to fans. tomorrow's parade starts at foot of market 11 a.m., abc7 news will have live coverage. >> update on the commute. bumper-to-bumper bay bridge not just for metering lights on the span earlier stall incline section cleared. new stall at the s-curve. bart delay recovering from earlier problem fremont line 10 to 15 minutes behind schedule accident north 101 rains door of just cleared out

of lanes. -- south 680 before 24 still jammed with motorcycle. >> when we come

densing to still the story fairfield through the north bay valley along coast lowest s these will start lifting as we get towards 9:00. -- 48 santa rosa the rest of us low to mid 50s right now.

60s coast into san francisco and san mateo, 70s for the rest of you're looking at some of the most stunning pictures to come in on hurricane sandy. so much destruction over the past several days, especially overnight. we're seeing how much damage sandy left behind. >> and we're showing you a picture that was sent in from ginger zee there. these are the streets in atlantic city. they were filled with water. now, they're filled with sand. and it washed away a huge section of the iconic boardwalk there in atlantic city. it was literally swept away by that storm surge. we're going to have the latest on that, coming up. >> coastal towns all along the eastern seaboard, cease to exist. meanwhile, millions out of power right now. the aftermath of this storm

could affect so many people for days, again. some of the hardest-hit areas, coastal connecticut and areas on long island sound there. stamford, connecticut, is where lara is for us this morning. so many families hunkered down and out of power. >> hunkered down and out of power. estimated 650,000 customers in connecticut. it seems quiet now. not to be trifled with, though. the tide is rising. that's where it gets tricky. i don't know if you can see over here. there's a home, the water is just pouring out of the basement of that home. the water was all the way up in these houses. today, the aftermath. we're going to talk about how these families are dealing without power, like so many other families along sandy's path. back to you. and at the heart of our storm coverage, from the very start, sam champion, down in lower manhattan right now. that area still reeling. and another high tide about to come. >> yeah. we're right about at that time.

but the good news is, as far as the paved surfaces go and the streets of new york, new york harbor is back in new york harbor. that's step one. there's a lot of underground flooding going on there. at least, on the surface, the water is back in the harbor. it was difficult to find a high place last night. but our crew did, in battery park city, sleeping in their cars and suvs, did to be here first thing this morning. let's look at where this storm is going. if you were affected by this storm, will still will be probably for two days. look at where it is, right on the border of pennsylvania, kind of west of philly. and watch what it does over the next couple of days. then, sitting in western new york state. then, hooking up into canada. our friends in canada will get a little bit of this storm, as well. it will have strong winds and a little bit of rain and eventually be pushed out into the canadian maritimes. here's that wind field.

some of the heaviest winds is forced inland. same with the rain. still, there will be rain that lights up along the shoreline. we get periodic rain showers. so will you, too. but inland areas, much heavier rain. now, to lara spencer in connecticut. it was a difficult night. we were getting wind gust reports there, as well. and it was a tough one. >> the wind was a huge problem, sam. one of the big concerns and not one that i think a lot of people were thinking about. they were thinking about the power. they were thinking about the flooding. but fires burned. we have pictures in old saybrook of a fire out of control. firefighters and first responders unable to help. houses burning to the ground because of the high winds and the flooding and the trees down. also, in part of old greenwich, connecticut. four houses, all on a block, all in a row, burned to the ground. embers spreading, because of the high winds, from one house to the next. fist responders unable to do their jobs.

i can hear the sirens going. they're doing their very best. the families not listening to that evacuation, now stuck in their homes. the governor of connecticut telling them, get to higher ground in the house, as the tide comes in. it doesn't look bad right now. the tide is low. as it comes in, get inside your home. responders will get to you. if you're in danger, put a white towel or something on your do. but the situation continues here. let's get back to you in the studio. >> lara, thanks very much. sam showed this storm is heading through pennsylvania. that's where we find "nightline" anchor, bill weir. he's in erie, pennsylvania. good morning, bill. >> good morning, george. when you live in this part of the country, there's a lot of snow shoveling. hurricane preparedness is not part of the routine. that was the case on the banks of lake erie. look at some of the wave action we saw here.

waves up to 29 feet on some of the buoys here in the great lakes. and 25 feet as sandy's outer bands rake that north-to-south pattern, between here and cleveland and buffalo. we're used to seeing those fate-tempting surfers going out in the pacific or the atlantic or in the gulf of mexico in advance of a big storm. but look at what was happening outside of cleveland, ohio. guys trying to catch fresh water mavericks yesterday. had to be chased out of the water. there will be nowhere near the flooding devastation that you're seeing back in the east there. but a lot of downed trees in the midwest. a lot of broken power lines, school cancellations. 100,000 people without power in ohio. those in the midwest, get a taste of what it's like to live in hurricane country.

and the epicenter of this presidential campaign, hard to believe it's a week away. the coverage of that has been swamped by sandy and the superstorm. want to go to jake tapper down in orlando, florida. this has scrambled the campaign, jake. and dozens of events by both candidates has been canceled. >> that's right. president obama was here in orlando yesterday, but left before his own rally, to go back and monitor the storm coverage. we're told he stayed abreast of the coverage all day. mainly briefed by his chief homeland security adviser, john brennan. he watched the storm coverage on television, like much of us, throughout the night. he spoke with the governors of the states that were hardest hit. cuomo from new york, christie of new jersey. and also talked to the mayors of new york city and the mayors of jersey city and newark. talked about what they need. in the information he also one of the things we could do would be to expedite the process, by declaring major disaster relief.

he'll be briefed again later today and will have a conference call. it seems like the campaign will go back on schedule tomorrow, george. we're getting more scenes of devastation. extraordinary shots. look at that. a large tanker ship washed up on the shores of staten island here in new york city. michelle charlesworth has more on that. power of the storm clearly evident right there. >> reporter: unbelievable. we pulled up. we jumped out of the truck. amy, this is a 700-ton tanker. dates back to 1941, we now know. it's "the john b. caddell." stop for a second. let's take a shot. that's lower manhattan. this is the narrows. that's where it came from. it was over, moored on the right, a mile away.

sandy picked up this giant tanker. first of all, pulled it away from the marina. and the 15-foot storm surge, picked it up and put it on the street here. this is front street. this was a fence. it is completely smashed down. and people all over staten island, are making their way here, just so they can come over and say they touched a tanker that was on front street. unbelievable picture this morning. nobody was on the tanker. nobody was hurt. >> thanks so much for that. as we said, millions still in the dark this morning. widespread power outages up and down the east coast. so, a big question a lot of people are asking, what can you do to make sure your pantry has what you need to survive a couple of days of darkness? abc's claire shipman has more on that story. >> reporter: in the coming days, the focus for many will move from storm to supplies.

we took a food safety expert to nora burke's house with a food safety checklist. first, she says, always plan for at least three days. second, focus on water. you need a gallon a day, per person. do you have bottled water? >> no. >> we lose electricity fairly often in storms. but we've never lost water. to me, it isn't seem like anything important. >> reporter: i have the same situation. our tap works. >> it's possible that the water sanitation systems might also lose water for a period. >> reporter: for your family, of 6, that's 18 gallons. >> 18 gallons of water. >> reporter: you can fill pots and pans, even a bathtub. just do the math. it seems small, but just make sure you have a regular can opener. >> i have.

>> reporter: load up on the canned food. at least two cans per person a day. three days. so, that would be 36 cans. >> 36 cans for your family. >> reporter: so, four cans. if you count your soup, you have 25. nora can count soup because her gas stove top will work with matches. if you have an outside gas grill, you can still cook outside. >> the grill's a great resource. >> reporter: people could even boil water. >> absolutely. >> reporter: other things to keep on-hand, peanut butter, granola bars. long-life fruit. >> with those bananas, you'll be good to go. >> reporter: do you like the bananas and apples? >> yes. >> our thanks to claire shipman. that's important information over the next coming days. also with important information, sam champion, in lower manhattan with where sandy is headed next. is next.

a lot of people feeling the effects of sandy, as we are here in manhattan. >> good morning, amy. it's a very cold, bitter wind blowing on the battery this morning. it's difficult with the skies, the wind, the rain, for first-responders to get in there. if you are in the path of the storm, stay where you are during the day today. stay inside, catch a little television. let's get to the boards. there's one or two things we want to talk about. we will show you where the storm is and how it's part of our future for a few days. look at the snow, by the way. in the higher elevations of the mountains of west virginia. we had reports of 20 inches of snow, in blizzard conditions last night, in the corner of virginia, as well. thunder snow. this is a very powerful, explosive snow situation, that will continue today. in some cases, it's 6 to 12 inches of additional snow. and a quick look at the west to show you there's another system in the west. there's flooding and flood

watches and warnings out. >> every now and then, that wind picks up and lets you know that sandy is not done with us yet. back to the studio. >> thanks very much. coming up, washing away history. coming up, washing away histori moved to new york to work in fashion.

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that's a look at one of the most famous landmarks in the country. so much of it destroyed by storm sandy, the atlantic city boardwalk. generations have been out here to party and gamble. it's been a part of so many film, tv shows and songs. now, it's hurt and underwater. ginger zee with that story. the storm really wiped that away. >> yeah. you can see the casinos behind me. we could not get to the boardwalk. part of the boardwalk is gone. it's hard to imagine anything challenging the iconic images of this fast-paced paradise.

that rough-and-tumble lifestyle, glamorized in shows like "boardwalk empire." and the friendship in the movie "beaches." >> i want to get back to the hotel. >> reporter: as sandy made landfall, it was that famous boardwalk that fell prey. look at the images before and during the storm. as the surge burst through the streets, small shops and towering hotels, and casinos, only played one hand. taking hit after hit. >> a lot of the buildings did not have a lot of flooding. atlantic city will look very different tomorrow than it did yesterday or the day before. this is a major situation. major damage. >> there was the beachfront salt water taffy shop.

this debris is sections of the boardwalk that was lifted and floated over 2 1/2 blocks. they say the 125 feet of sand on the atlantic city beachfront will be reduced to just 25 feet after the storm. >> some of the boardwalk is still there. but there are masses amounts that will never be there again. >> and we do have the new images to share with you. we're getting the video. i want to share with you still pictures we got. here's a look at the north side of part of the boardwalk, gone. and a second photo shows where it went. we'll be finding pieces for days to come. george? >> that's a big rebuilding effort. coming up, more on sandy and the devastating aftermath.

as pictures and information keep coming in.

for the last 24 hours, we've been monitoring social media. a real-time look at this disaster. and your photos tell the story. facebook says that mentions of the word hurricane on its pages rose from 22,000%. not surprising, given the devastation we have seen. and look at this shot. just under the williamsburg bridge here in new york city. just before the storm surge struck. as the storm waters began to recede, a sliver of sun. trying to peek through over the skyline in the distance. i'll give you an image of the vast scope. a thought of atlantic city, new jersey, just miles from where sandy made landfall last night. and an incredible photo shared

thousands of times. a trampoline tangled in power lines. now, we want to bring you more moments of the staggering destructive and hauntingly surreal of the last 48 hours. >> the only way we'll make it is if we hang on to the fence. it's flooded here. i see where we need to go. we just need to get to the other side of the floodwaters. >> the conditions are just deteriorating by the minute here. and this seafoam, tastes like -- i have to get out of this. hang on. >> water's going to come crashing through there. beneath the boardwalk and out into the streets. these are probably the -- these are the -- i've got the nassau county sheriff holding me on to the boardwalk. >> oh. >> it is extremely, extremely

sloppy, and this storm surge over the past 12 hours or so, has been relentless, pushing everything onshore. i'm at a pier right now. maybe you can see the other side of the pier. the beach used to be about 150 yards that way. it has been pushing up onshore all morning long. >> and the waves are picking up quite a great deal, as well. uh-oh. here we come. there's that awful seafoam. >> this water, the floodwater, there's been standing water for some time. but now, with the wind, it picks it up so much, there's almost white caps. >> they're worried about the cabs and the actual extension part of the crane itself. uh-oh. we just had glass breaking out here. >> take a look at this. all of the winds have picked up. this is what happens. debris like pieces of the boardwalk have gone for three blocks. that's the ocean back there. did you see that? >> yeah.

watch out. all right. we have to keep moving to higher ground. are you all right? >> we thank the first responders who responded by the thousands, in the aftermath of the storm. and our brethren in the media, going through extraordinary situations to bring you the news. >> how about that crane, still above? >> we'll have news as it becomes available today.

we want to say good-bye to lara and sam. there's lara right there. sam in lower manhattan. thanks to them. thanks for sharing this morning with us. we'll have coverage of sandy and its aftermath, all day long. watch "world news" with diane sawyer later tonight. we'll see you tomorrow.

good morning i'm eric thomas. while most flights to major east coast airports are cancelled because of sandy there is hope for some, some of today's flights are listed as on-time things change quickly so check online with your carrier. mike has the fog blanketing the area. causing flight arrival delays at sfo. clouds backed to the coast this afternoon in the 60s the rest of us in the 70s rain possible in the north bay tomorrow evening the rest of us overnight through thursday morning. continued jammed at bay bridge toll backed to the overcrossings delays san francisco southbound 680 before 24 motorcycle down, south